Quick Breakdown
- Senate committees delayed the CLARITY Act markup to secure bipartisan support
- Lawmakers remain divided over stablecoins, DeFi, and regulatory authority
- The delay could shape whether U.S. crypto reform progresses in 2026
Momentum around U.S. cryptocurrency regulation slowed again this week after Senate lawmakers quietly postponed a long-awaited vote on landmark legislation, extending uncertainty for the digital asset industry.
Chairman @JohnBoozman reports progress in bipartisan crypto market structure talks. Markup now set for the last week of January to ensure broad support.
Read the chairman’s statement ⬇️https://t.co/dEjZRGn9XL
— Senate Ag Committee Republicans (@SenateAgGOP) January 12, 2026
Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman confirmed that his committee will delay the markup of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act until the final week of January, citing the need to preserve bipartisan backing. The decision underscores the growing difficulty of advancing crypto legislation in a divided Congress.
Bipartisan support still not locked in
The Senate Agriculture Committee had initially planned to begin marking up the bill this week, alongside a parallel effort in the Senate Banking Committee. That schedule has now been shelved.
According to Boozman, lawmakers need more time to secure enough votes from both parties before moving ahead. Without clear support, Senate leaders appear reluctant to force a vote that could fail or expose deep partisan divisions.
A markup is a crucial stage in the legislative process, allowing committees to debate the bill line by line, propose amendments, and decide whether it should advance to the full Senate. If either committee blocks the bill, progress stalls effectively.
Key policy disputes continue to delay progress
The delay highlights unresolved disagreements over several core issues, including how stablecoin rewards should be regulated, how decentralized finance platforms should be treated, and how oversight responsibilities should be divided between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
The CLARITY Act, formerly known as the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025, aims to define which digital assets qualify as securities and which fall under commodities law, granting the CFTC expanded authority. It also outlines federal standards for market oversight, asset segregation, and the operation of crypto exchanges, brokers, and custodians.
While the House passed its version of the bill in mid-2025 with broad support, the Senate has struggled to agree on language that is acceptable to lawmakers, regulators, banks, and the cryptocurrency industry. Industry groups have warned that rushed or last-minute amendments could erode their support, while some senators are pushing for stricter rules on lawmakers’ personal crypto dealings.
If you would like to read more articles like this, visit DeFi Planet and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and CoinMarketCap Community.
Take control of your crypto portfolio with MARKETS PRO, DeFi Planet’s suite of analytics tools.”
